Metrecal

The way that femininity is being presented in this advertisement is that you have to be thin to be feminine. This advertisement, called Metrecal, is about a weight loss drink and how it is “the most convenient way to lose weight safely”. Metrecal also shows that it can be social to lose weight as the drink “fits into your way of life.” This quote also shows that by losing weight your social life will soar and so you will have less time to eat. The images that are shown are of the drink being opened and poured into a chilled wine glass. The hand holding the glass is also perfectly manicured with pink nails. This could be representing how women should always look good. This article comes from a woman’s magazine and so this is pointing out that only women are overweight and not men. This article shows to women everywhere that to be social you have to be thin.

Empathy Exercises

Imagine you are Andy and you have just found out that you are going to Paris instead of Emily. You haven't told her yet.

Dear Journal.
Miranda just told me I am going with her to Paris. I am still in shock. I don't know how I am going to break the news to Emily. I feel really bad about her not going, she has been starving herself for weeks. She looks amazing. I still haven’t decided how to break the news to her. Miranda has kind of dumped it all on me, as usual. I have also been made first assistant, which is also pretty exciting. I just don't know what to do. Actually I might call her right now.

Bye, for now journal.

Empathy Exercises

Imagine you are Emily and you have just found out that Andy is going to Paris instead of you.
Dear Journal.
I am so angry today. Life just isn’t fair. What is it about me journal, I starve myself for weeks to go on this trip to Paris and I now find out that Andy is going instead of me!! Miranda is a dragon-lady, well we all know that but this is too far, I have been working here for over 3 years now and Andy got the job only 2 months ago!!!! It is just so frustrating journal, the level of unfairness is unbelievable. I know Miranda would have fired her but that is no excuse. I don't even care that I’m in hospital that's also Andy’s fault I was on the phone to here when I got hit by that stupid car. I AM JUST SO ANGRY. I am so angry that I can see straight and I can even write in you I just getting more frustrated, did u known I have broken my pencil 4 TIMEES!!! ARGH!!! I don't want to hurt you journal so I will write to you again when I have calmed down.

Emily <3

How Women are represented through fashion and self-help magazines

The article in cosmopolitan called 23 ways to fake your weight represents women as fake and not being who they really are. This is partially the media fault. We are shown images of tiny size 0 model s and we want to look like them because they are the ones with the fame and success. The media has helped distort our vision of whom/what is normal. It used to be size 8-10 was normal and healthy now its size 0-4. In this article they talk about Isla Fisher. Fisher is clearly a healthy weight and yet the magazine portrays her as ‘faking her weight’. It also shows you how to do the perfect photo pose to make yourself look slimmer. They use Isla Fisher as the model for the ‘perfect pose’. This article names and shames many stars who may not have looked that good that night the photo was taken but they are still people and on other occasions they may have look amazing. Cosmopolitan and many fashion/self help magazines have distorted our view of what is normal and have cause us to no longer be who we want to be but the fake ‘perfect’ person.

The Way Women are Represented through Song

A Gold Digger is a person who seeks a partner under the guise of a romantic relationship, but only seeks to exploit the person financially. In this song Kanye West is singing about a beautiful woman who he ‘loves’ but “From what I heard she got a baby by Busta, My best friend say she used to f*** with Usher”. This is saying how she is a woman who has been ‘around’ with quite a few famous musicians. In his last verse Kanye raps that “She got one of yo' kids, got you for 18 years, I know somebody payin' child support for one of his kids, And on her 18th birthday, he found out it wasn't his”. He is trying to say that women are cheating liars who only want your money. This corroborates with “She was supposed to buy ya shorty Tyco with ya money, she went to the doctor got lipo with ya money”, which means that she was supposed to buy food and pay for schooling for the child but instead she is out getting plastic surgery with the child support money. This is offensive to women because not every woman is looking for money in a relationship some are looking for romance and companionship. Kanye West’s song Gold Digger is very offensive to women everywhere because they are being misrepresented and are seen to be just Gold Diggers.